Hull construction for vessels.



K. HIROTA.

HULL CONSTRUCTION FOR VESSELS. APPLICATION. man MAY 25. 1918.

1,289,760. Patented Dec. 31,1918;

J 14 fl I; M 1,6 J

I JM vamtoz Jag 055i Humid, Wang go nary circumstances is KIYOSHI HIROTA, OF THOMAS, WASHINGTON.

HULL CONSTRUCTION FOR VESSELS.

Application filed May 25, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Kn'osHI HIROTA, a citizen of the United .States, residing at Thomas, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hull Constructions for Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hull construction for vessels and the object is to provide means for protecting the vessel from mines, torpedoes, projectiles, and the like.

A further object is to provide a hull formed of a plurality of steel walls spaced apart, the intervening space being filled by a layer of rubber and cork formed into a composition, the layer last named being designed to fill apertures in the. hull made by shell fire, or by mines or torpedoes, and prevent the entrance of water into the hold.

A still further object is to provide in a hull construction an outer steel armor having a high degree of resistance, an intermediate layer of material having resilient qualities for decreasing the shock caused by the impact of a projectile or the like, and an inner wall of sheet steel, which may be of substantially the same thickness as the outer wall or armor, and which under ordidesigned to remain intact, owing to the difliculty of penetrating the entire hull construction by employing a shell having the usual size and velocity, or penetrating the hull by the use of a torpedo.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

The figure of the drawing is a vertical transverse section through a hull coninvention structed in accordance with my Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918. Serial No. 236,622.

The armor proper is formed of steel having a maximum degree of hardness and having any suitable thickness. For given vessels a thickness of four inches is sutiicient for the outer plates, the thickness of the en tire hull walls being about 12 inches.

The armor. proper is designated 10, and a layer of composition formed of rubber and .cork is shown at 12, this layer having preferably the same thickness as the steel armor.

he composition will swell in the event of penetration of the outer plates and will tend to close openings formed therein, and this layer 12,,w1ll also retard the movement of the projectile and under usual circumstances will prevent the penetration of the inner armor constituting the hull proper. The inner wall is designated 14 and is also of steel, the plates being of the same thickness as those previously mentioned and serving to maintain a water tight hull under all usual conditions.

In the event of the straining of the armor as a result of accident such as the grounding of the vessel, the intermediate layer 1:2 will act in the capacity above mentioned and will tend to close cracks between the plates of the outer armor. The composition is not readily destroyed by the action of the water and will maintain the hull in good condition long enough for the ship to reach a port where repairs may be made.

What is claimed is:

In hull construction, a plurality of spaced walls of steel, and a filling material providing elasticity at normal temperatures, consisting of rubber, and cork intermixed with the rubber, rendering the material porous and eXpansible when saturated.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

KIYOSHI HIROTA. 

